Ararat's Karen Brennan and Stan Meale have returned from an exceptional showing at Bowls Victoria's 2021 State Champions Week in Bendigo.
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Brennan and Meale represented the Wimmera in the Mixed Pairs division, reaching the final before being defeated by Canadian international lawn bowler Kelly McKerihen and New Zealand international lawn bowler Ali Forsyth.
"It was awesome to get to the final," Brennan said.
"In the semi-final, we had to play two outstanding champions. We played Anne Miles, who is the current Victorian Over 60s state rep, and her partner, Ian Brimblecombe, who has also been a state representative.
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"We started just before 4pm and we didn't step off the green until 7.50pm that night, so it was a real marathon."
Brennan and Meale won the semi-final 19:12. In the final, they faced McKerihen and Forsyth, who Brennan said were formidable opponents.
"We weren't far from a birth in the nationals but we struck some pretty incredible competition," she said.
"But it's fantastic playing top players, it brings the best out in you."
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Adding to the achievement was that the event was the first time Brennan and Meale had bowled together, with the pair playing at Chalambar Bowls Club and Ararat VRI Bowls Club, respectively.
"It was actually the first time we had paired up," Brennan said.
"You've got to get to learn each others' game and what your strengths and weaknesses are. Especially at that level, you've got to be really switched on to what your opponents are doing.
"We were pumped. Just little old country-bumpkins getting to the top of the state."
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Brennan enjoyed similar success a few days earlier at the 2021 Region Sides Championships in Shepparton, where she was part of the Wimmera team that finished second in the Women's division.
The team finished on top of Section two and subsequently played Section 1 leaders Ovens & Murray in the final.
They would eventually be defeated 33:53, but Brennan said the performance had been a vast improvement in previous years.
"The Wimmera team has been lucky to win one or two games in the whole round-robin event, so far us to be runners up and get silver was awesome," she said.
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